Jaquan’s destination was a quiet tea room. Callie didn’t want to go in with him, and he didn’t force her.
She knew she couldn’t escape, so she closed her eyes to nap in the car. But as soon as she did, various thoughts and images filled her mind. Nelson’s face was particularly clear in the fragmented scenes, making it impossible for her to sleep.
Callie took out her sketchbook from her bag but didn’t know what to draw. She glanced around and saw Jaquan sitting by the window in the tea room. His hair was slightly messy, his profile flawless, with a slightly prominent nose and thin lips. His demeanor was extraordinary.
Unconsciously, she picked up her pencil and quickly sketched his outline. The sound of the carbon pencil on paper was pleasing.
After half an hour, she patted the paper and stood up. The Jaquan in the drawing was lifelike, with shadows perfectly accentuating his long eyelashes.
She then idly began to refine the hasty drawing.
Engrossed in her work, she didn’t notice someone approaching.
“What are you drawing?” A familiar voice asked.
Callie froze, her grip loosening. The sketch paper floated gently to the ground, landing at his feet.
Jaquan picked it up and examined it carefully before saying to Callie, “It’s well-drawn.”
Callie struggled to find a response. “Are you complimenting my drawing or praising your own looks?”
Feeling the need to explain herself, she added, “I didn’t mean to draw you; I was just… a bit bored.”
Jaquan leaned against the car door, looking slightly rebellious. He raised the sketch paper. “Can I keep this drawing?”
Callie shrugged indifferently. “Sure, as long as you don’t sue me.”
“I’m not that petty.”
As evening fell, Callie received a call from Litzy. “Something’s wrong! Today’s Gold Award announcement revealed that your design is very similar to Skye’s!”
Her brows furrowed as she tried to check her phone but found it inconvenient. Jaquan offered his phone. “Use mine.”
Twitter was already ablaze with discussions.
Litzy continued, “This is slander, right? Have you found any evidence?”
“Not yet. I suspect there’s a mole in the company.”
“Never mind that now. Get online and check Twitter!” Her urgency was palpable.
“Someone exposed your and Skye’s design drafts on Twitter. The comments are exploding.”
The post came from an anonymous account, with no text-just images. Callie’s name was prominently displayed on the draft, which closely matched Skye’s, causing an uproar.
“Isn’t this Callie who spoke out last time?”
“Winning the Gold Award through plagiarism… I’m questioning Oconnor Group’s standards.”
“Plagiarism is common these days, but this blatant? Unbelievable.”
In no time, comments surpassed thirty thousand. Enthusiastic netizens had pushed #Oconnor Group Callie Plagiarism to the top of trending topics, driven by public opinion.
The deliberate inclusion of Oconnor Group in the topic meant the backlash wasn’t aimed solely at her.
Instinctively, Callie glanced at Jaquan. He raised an eyebrow, indicating it had nothing to do with him.
The comment section was filled with malicious and harsh words from strangers who judged her with the worst intentions.